CMU Instructors:

This Special Topics course explores the key research and deployment issues
for novel Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) for the world's
poorer 4 billion people who today lack access to modern technologies and
infrastructure. Although there are a number of technologies that are a part
of development, we focus on ICT.

Looking beyond digital divide issues, which are important, we consider
ICT to be an enabler of sustainable development. Hence, we will study the
intersection of technology, policy, and business issues related to ICT and
sustainable development. The course is jointly taught at the University of
California Berkeley, Carnegie Mellon University and University of Washington
via videoconferencing, and will include several guest lecturers from a wide
variety of backgrounds relevant to the discourse.

Although listed in computer science, we are encouraging advanced undergraduates
and graduates in social science, business, regional planning, public policy
to take the course as well.

Economics Primer
- to be used for the upcoming homework http://www.ce.cmu.edu/pmbook/06_Economic_Evaluation_of_Facility_Investments.htmlThis is a book chapter
that deals with investments and economic evaluation in a construction sense,
but the principles apply universally. Feel free to skim some sections, but
do read 6.l - 6.6 and parts of 6.8 and 6.9. Some later sections also get
into taxes and tax shields. Some of you might already know the material,
in which case this should be a quick refresher.